Method of aerating liquids.



L. NBUMAYER. METHOD 0F ABRATING LIQUIDS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1910.

Patented Nov. 19,1912.

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L. NEUMAYBR. METHOD 0F AERATING LIQUIDS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1I 1910.

1,045,066. I Patented Nov; 19, 191.2.`

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COLUMNA PLANouR/PH ca.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

LUDWIG NEUMAYER, OF STRASSBURG, GERMANY.

METHOD OF .AERATING LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters '.iiitent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

1 Application filed .Tune 1, 1910. Serial No. 564,463.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUDWIG NEUMAYER, a subject of the German Emperor,and resident of Strassburg, Germany, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Methods of Aerating Liquids, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a method of aerating liquidsduring the bottling operation.

. The object of my improved method is to inject gas under pressure to aconfined column of liquid and permit a portion of the gas to escape andsubsequently confine same, and finally subject the liquid to a furthercharge of gas and force the aerated liquid in sprays to the gaspreviously expelled from the column of liquid.

By the employment of this `method the gas thoroughly impregnates theliquid.

In carrying out my improved method I have illustrated an apparatus suchas shown and described in my patent, dated April 9, 1912, No. 1,022,968.

In the accompanying drawings z-Figure 1 is a front elevation of myimproved apparatus, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the I same, theparts being illustrated in elevation, and parts being broken away, Fig.3 is a vertical section of the valve box, Fig 4 is a horizontal sectionof the same, Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a modified form ofvalve, Fig. 6 is a detail front view of the ing the arrangement of thepipes, in the valve box, the valve stem and their operating element,Fig. 7 is a similar view, but showing the operating element in adifferent position, Fig. 8 is a horizontal section showneok of themixing tank, Fig. 9 is a detail of a valve stem and the operatingelement, Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view, illustrating the ports and thepoints to which the ducts f or pipes lead, Fig. 11 is a viewillustrating the device 3 for litting a bottle 4, in place to be filled.

The valve box 1, is provided with a number of inlet ports and inletpipes-6, designates a water inlet pipe; 7 the inlet pipe for y carboniogas; 8 the port for venting the bottle; 9 the port for venting themixing tank 2; and 10 designates syrup inlet pipes.

Mounted in the valve box 1, is a driving shaft 11, having a crank 12,and a valve operating blade 13. Also mounted in the valve box 1, arevalves 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22, and in said valve box betweenthe before mentioned valves and the shaft 11, is a valve 15, all thevalves except valve 15, being arranged concentrically with reference tothe shaft 11, the stems of said valves being' arranged in the path otlmovement of the valve operating blade 13. The stems of the valvesoperate in guide openings in a plate 23, the valve operating bladefitting closely to said plate. The valve operating blade 13 ispreferably provided with an incline` surface 24 to engage the ends ofthe valve stems, and it is also provided with a depression 25, whichott'ers a point of rest for the valve stems during the operation of theapparatus. Each valve is held in operative position by means of a spring26.

The mixing tank 2 is preferably made of metal and is connected to thevalve box 1, at the fianged end 27, its bottom being preferably curved.At the bottom of the tank 2, are ears 28, which support the bottleclamping device 3. The bottom ot the mixing tank is formed with atubular extension 29, through which certain of the pipes pass. Thetubular extension 29, is threaded and receives a packing head 5, havinga gasket 30, against which the upper edge of the bottle is pressedduring the operation of filling.

A pipe 31, extends from the valve 14, into the mixing tank 2, tointroduce water to the latter, and a pipe 32, communicates with thevalve 15, and the tank 2, to supply carbonio acid gas to the latter. Theinner ends of the pipes 31 and 32 are provided with check valves toprevent back pressure against the valves 14 and 15.

From the gas distributing valve 16, leads a pipe 37, the end of whichpasses through the extension 29 and into the neck of the bottle. Viththe valve 17, communicates a pipe 34, which also passes through theextension 29, and into the bottle, and at its lower end is attached aspraying device 44, for spraying the water to cause a thoroughintermixing of the same while being introduced in the bottle. Alsocommunicating with the valve 17, is a pipe 33, which extends down withinthe tank 2. The end of the pipe 33, turns upwardly, and receives a cage41, formed with a series of openings. In the cage is a float valve 40,designed to close the exit of the pipe 33, as shown in Fig. 2. The cageis formed with a stem 42, which fits in the end of the pipe 33, and maybe adjusted therein. A pipe 48 communicates with the valve 18, and fromthe latter leads the vent pipe 8. From the valves 19, 20 and 21, leadpipes 39, 38, and 36, all of which extend through the tank 2, and intothe neck of the bottle. The pipes 10, communicate with the valves 19 to21, so that syrups may be introduced to the bottle if desired. A duct22n communicates with the tank 2, and the valve 22, to vent the tankafter a bottle has been filled.

The pipes are assembled in compact form to pass through the head 5, andinto the bottle 4, and are preferably soldered together as at 39 to fillthe interstices between said pipes to close the outlet from the tank 1,to prevent the gas and liquid escaping therefrom.

Owing to the necessary high pressure in an apparatus of this type theordinary stuffing boxes cannot be employed, and to meet the requirementsI'provide the valve stems with metallic heads 45, which engage rubberbuffers 46, to form elastic seats. This construction effectuallyprevents the escape of gas or liquid.

In lieu of the valves previously described I may employ the modifiedstructure shown by Fig. 5. In this construction the chamber 52,surrounding the valve stem is enlarged and a leather cap 53, is securedon the stem. When the valve is opened the gas accumulates in the hollowpart of the cap 53 and presses the latter tightly against the walls ofthe casing thus producing an automatic and absolutely tight joint. Thescrew plugs 54, serve to guide the valve stems in their movement.

The operation of the apparatus is substantially as follows: A bottle 4,to be filled, is held by the bottle holding device 3, the upper edge ofthe neck bearing against the head 5, to seal the joint. Upon revolvingthe shaft 11, the valve operating blade 13, first engages the end of thevalve 14, and forces the same inwardly and admits water under pressureto the mixing tank 2, until the air contained in said tank is compressedto a degree that it may counterbalance the pressure of the liquid. Asthe water rises in the tank, the spherical float valve 41, in the cage40, will rise and open the pipe 33, and permit the water to flow intopipe 33. Upon further rotation of the blade 13, it leaves the valve 14and its spring automatically closes it. The blade 13 next contacts withand opens the valve 15, which admits a supply of carbonio acid gas topass through the pipe 32 to the tank 2. The carboni@v acid gas is forcedinto the tank under high pressure through the nozzle Von the pipe 32,which agitates the water and causes the gas to become intimately mixedtherewith. This operation produces what I term the first aeration of theliquid.

Upon further rotation of the shaft 11, the blade 13 is operated on thestem of valve 16, and opens the latter, the valve 15 being held open atthis time by an extension on the blade 13, as shown in Fig. 6. From thevalve 16 leads a duct 47, which communicates with the tank 2, while apipe 37 also leads from the valve 16, and extends into the bottle, sothat when valve 16 is opened the gas passes from the tank 2 through ductand pipe 37 to the bottle.

During the time the valves 15 and 16 are open, the pressure in the tankand bottle is the same. When the blade 13 is again moved it permitsvalve 16 to close, and encounters and opens the valve 17. Communi- Aeating with the valve 17, is the pipe 33, and the escape pipe 34, thelatter leading to the bottle.

I/Vhen the valve 17 is opened the following action occurs. The liquidwhich has already been aerated in the mixing tank, is forcedl with greatpressure through the small openings of the nozzle 43, into the bottle 4,in separated streams until the bottle is filled. This operationobviously aerates the liquid a second time and thereby insures a thor-iough intermixing of the gas and liquid. When the bottle is filled thevalve 44 rises and closes the pipe 34. The position of the ball valve 44may be changed by screwing its supporting cage more or less on the endof the pipe, whereby the volume of liquid introduced into the bottle maybe altered. IVhen the liquid falls below the kcage 40, the sphericaliioat valve 41, closes the pipe 33, and prevents the gases from enteringthe! bottle. As will be readily seen, the more the cage 40 is elevatedfrom the mouth of the pipe 33, the smaller will be the volume of liquidforced through the valve 17, and into the bottle 4. y

The bottle containing the liquid, which has now been mixed twice withgas, could be removed, but this would set up a shock and detonationproduced bythe gases kaccumulated above the liquid in the bottle. Inor-1 der to avoid this occurrence, the valve 18 is provided. Then theblade 13 is moved from the valve 17, it opens valve v18, and as the pipe48, communicates with said valve, and when the latter is opened theexcessk of gas in the bottle escapes to the atmosphere through pipe 8.When it is desired to add extracts to the aerated liquid in the bottle,the blade 13 is moved again to open the pipes 10, and the respectiveSyrups pass through the valves 19, 20 and 21, respectively. The syrupflows under pressure into the bottle through the respectlve pipes 39 38and 36.

After the bottling operation is completed, the blade 13, is moved toopen valve 22, to vent the gas in tank 2, through opening 9, to theatmosphere, thereby relieving said tank of pressure.

The diagram shown in Fig. 10, illustrates the position of the pipes withrespect to the valves, the arrows indicating the course followed by theliquidsr and the gases.

The actuating shaft 11, instead of being actuated by means of, the crankas shown in Fig. 1 may be caused to rotate by a worm 50, operated by amotor 49. In this case, the device is preferably mounted on a framework5l, as shown in Fig. 11.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

The herein described method of aerating liquid, consisting in supplyinggas under pressure to a column of confined liquid, permitting a portionof the gas to escape Jfrom the column of liquid and subsequentlyconining the escaping gas, and iinally subjecting the column of liquidto an additional charge of gas and forcing the aerated liquid in spraysto the confined gas previously eX- pelled from the column of liquid.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

LUDWIG NEUMAYER.

Witnesses:

CARL W. SCHMITT, AUGUST O'osTERMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

